Monica Lewinsky says she no longer needs an apology from Bill Clinton


Monica Lewinsky is "grateful" to no longer feel the need for an apology from former President Bill Clinton — even though she thinks he should "want to" give one.
The former White House intern appeared on NBC's Today ahead of the Tuesday premiere of FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story, the new series that dramatizes Clinton's affair with then 22-year-old Lewinsky in the 1990s and his subsequent impeachment. When asked whether Clinton owes it to her to personally apologize, Lewinsky explained she doesn't need that resolution the way she once did.
"There was a long period before my life changed in the last six or seven years where I felt a lot in terms of there not being this resolution," she said. "And I'm very grateful that I don't have that feeling anymore. I don't need it."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
At the same time, Lewinsky added that Clinton "should want to apologize, in the same way that I want to apologize any chance I get to people that I've hurt and my actions have hurt." Lewinsky previously wrote in Vanity Fair that she's "less disappointed by" Clinton failing to apologize to her personally but "more disappointed for him," as "he would be a better man for it ... and we, in turn, a better society." In 2018, Clinton said that he "did say, publicly, on more than one occasion, that I was sorry," but he argued "I do not" owe Lewinsky a personal apology.
Lewinsky in the Today interview also reflected on feeling "nervous" for audiences to see "a lot of behavior that I regret" in Impeachment, and she addressed the question of whether the Clinton scandal might have unfolded differently had it played out today rather than in the 1990s.
"It would be different," Lewinsky said. "I don't know that it would be as different as people want to think it would be."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime minister
Speed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
The 5 best mob movies of all time
The Week Recommends If you don’t like a good gangster flick, just fuhgeddaboudit
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s plan
Speed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot